Birthday Times Three
by can08writer
Summary: Michonne, pregnant with triplets, goes into labor at a very inopportune time. This one-shot was inspired by Danai Gurira's comment that Michonne should give birth to triplets to repopulate the Earth.
1. Chapter 1

**_Author's Note_** _: This story was inspired by Danai Gurira's comment that Michonne should give birth to triplets:_

 _"_ _I also think Michonne should have this sort of superhuman evolution thing happen where she has triplets in, like, four months — helping to repopulate, you know?" ~Danai Gurira_

Michonne's breaths were fast and heavy, as she leaned on the wall of her back porch, her eyes pressed closed tightly, her loose dress blowing in the wind.

"Uhhhh" she moaned. "Whewwww… Whewwww…" she released two deep breaths as she tried to breathe away the pain in her abdomen. The contractions had just started, and they were already coming hard. How could they be so close together so fast? Was something wrong? Maybe she just didn't notice them with everything going on.

Her back had been hurting her lately, there was a dull ache that just didn't go away, but her back had been hurting for the past two months, the weight from the triplets in her uterus pulling at her muscles and ligaments. She had had a few contractions here and there also, but that was normal for someone carrying as many babies as she was. Her belly was so big she had grown out of all the clothes in Alexandria, even extra-large men's pants weren't big enough to go around her belly, so one of the Alexandrians were kind enough to sew her four maternity dresses out of old clothing. When she received the gifts, she was so happy she'd cried in gratefulness. And now, those dresses were the only thing she could wear.

She wasn't even supposed to be walking, but since she had found herself alone in the house today, she had decided to sneak outside for a little fresh air, and sit on the back porch while Rick, Carl, and Judith were away. What was the difference between resting inside and resting outside, anyway? She made sure to elevate her swollen ankles as she sipped tea on the porch swing, when someone at the front gate set off an alarm. It was a warning alarm they had developed in the case of intruders or attack.

Michonne was immediately on alert, and she struggled to her feet to get inside and lock the door, but as soon as she stood, she'd had a contraction so strong it nearly knocked her down. Now, she stood leaning against her house, desperately waiting for the contraction to stop so she could move.

 _Rick is gonna kill me. Carl is gonna flip if he sees me outside. What the hell is happening? Why are the alarms going off?_

Dozens of thoughts went through Michonne's head, but she tried to stay focused so she could protect herself in case intruders ran her way. After a few seconds, the contraction subsided, and she leaned against the wall and carefully made her way into her home, locking the door behind her.

"Oh babies, this is not the time to come out right now" she said to her belly as she carefully made her way to the dining room. "Stay in there for mommy, just a little bit longer".

She had previously placed her katana on the dining room table, and she quickly picked it up and wrapped the strap across her body. The holster of the weapon sat haphazardly on her back, because the strap fell awkwardly between her large breasts, and then was pushed out of the way by her swollen belly.

"Where's my gun?" Michonne whispered to herself as she continued to make her way through the house. It was probably upstairs in her room. She hadn't left the house in weeks, Dr. Carson was kind enough to make house calls in Alexandria once a week to check her, so she had forgotten where she'd last had it.

She looked at the stairs for a moment, and then gave an exasperated sigh. There was no way she was risking the climb up the stairs. She suddenly felt one of the babies move, one of its body parts pushing against her ribs. "Hey, let's not poke mommy" she chided. "You have to wait for daddy to come back. He'll come back for us" she reassured them.

She clutched her overgrown belly, and shuffled her way to the kitchen window to see what she could see. She observed several Alexandrians run by, but she couldn't see anything else that could clue her in to what was happening.

Carl and Rick had probably gone to the gates to investigate, and here she was, locked in the house when something could be going down. She didn't like it.

 _Rick better be satisfied, 'cuz this is the last pregnancy we're having!_ Michonne thought as she continued to stare out the window. Another contraction caused Michonne to suck in a breath.

"Whewwwww. Whewwwww. Whewwwww" she recited with every exhale.

She couldn't believe this was happening. Not now. She had a whole birth plan that was slowly being ruined before her eyes. In three days, she and Rick were going to travel to the Hilltop and stay there until she went into labor. Dr. Carson would deliver her babies in the infirmary, and she would stay there for another two weeks afterwards to ensure that both she and the triplets were healthy. Dr. Carson had even trained two nurses to assist with the tricky delivery, and people from both Alexandria and Hilltop had been looking for useful supplies for her labor (and possible C-section) whenever they went out on runs.

Michonne's surprise pregnancy with triplets was the talk of the town in Alexandria, Hilltop, and the Kingdom. The babies were sort of a mascot of hope that new life could continue after the death of the old world, and the fact that she was having three babies in some way represented the uniting of the three communities. So far, the pregnancy had all gone according to plan. Through sonograms, Dr. Carson had determined the babies were growing normally, and he was amazed at how healthy they were, seeing as though Michonne had very little medical intervention available to her. He had expected that she wasn't due for another month at least, which was why she and Rick planned to leave in a few days, to get to Hilltop before her due date, just in case.

 _Well, all that went to shit_ she thought as she gripped the wall by the window. The contractions were getting stronger already.

"Babies please" Michonne begged as her hand circled her belly. "Please stay inside. Please just wait. There's danger here, and you gotta wait for daddy, and Carl, and Dr. Carson.

When the next contraction subsided, Michonne slowly made her way to the couch in the living room with a dilemma. The couch was very low and she knew if she managed to lower herself on to it, she wouldn't be able to get back up without help. But, continuing to stand would cause the contractions to come faster and possibly speed labor up, something she didn't want to happen.

 _Dammit, what is going on out there? Where is everyone? Where is Rick?_

Unable to decide if she should sit on the couch or stand up, Michonne settled for sitting on the arm of the couch. As soon as she sat down, she felt a stronger contraction clamping her abdomen tightly.

"Ahhhh" she moaned, placing both hands on her abdomen. She thought back to the Lamaze class she'd taken during her pregnancy with Andre. It was so long ago, but she still remembered some of the positions and breathing techniques she'd learned.

She placed both her hands on her large belly and breathed deeply so that each breath caused her fingers to spread apart. In and out. In and out. She kept breathing until the contraction finally faded away.

"Shit, you guys are really coming now, aren't you?" Michonne asked, slowly relaxing her body. She knew if the babies were coming now she had to find someplace where she'd be safe from attack, because once the head started coming she wouldn't be able to move or defend herself. She removed her katana from her back, and carried it into the first floor bedroom. She closed and locked the door behind her. She paced back and forth in the room, in shock that this was really happening.

"Rick, where are you?" she whispered. She heard four loud pops and the rattle of gunfire a few blocks away from the house. Her heartrate sped up as she feared for Rick, Carl, and Judith's safety. She was walking over to the bedroom window when she felt pressure in her abdomen and between her legs.

"Oh my God" she moaned. She knew what that meant, one of the babies' heads were coming.

"No, no, this is too fast, this is happening too fast" she rambled, tears suddenly filling her eyes. "No, I can't do this by myself. I… I can't… please. Oh God, we're not ready for you right now. Stay there baby. Stay in there."

She knew she should probably take her dress off, to prepare for the babies to start coming, but she was still in denial. She hoped that if she didn't remove her underwear it would keep the babies inside of her that much longer.

She gripped the footboard of her bed as she went into another strong contraction, and she felt the urge to bear down hard. "NO" she said, fighting the urge to push. "No, daddy's not here. This is supposed to take hours. He's not here yet!". This contraction was the strongest yet, and despite her not wanting to push, her body took control and she couldn't help but bear down. She felt a strong pressure from the baby's head as her whole body tightened. Suddenly she felt a rush of water hit the floor, soaking her legs and feet as her water broke.

Once the contraction ended, Michonne realized that this was it, and she couldn't deny her labor anymore. She quickly snatched the blanket off her bed and laid it on the floor, also grabbing some towels from the bathroom and a few pillows. Slowly, she lowered herself on to the floor so she would have the space and maneuverability to deliver the babies, and she pulled her dress off so she could move freely.

"Please help me God" she prayed, terrified for what might happen. She didn't know what to do if one of the babies weren't breathing, or if they had a cord around their neck. Every negative thing that could happen played through her mind as she knelt on the floor, circling her hips to get some relief from the pressure that was plaguing her.

Another contraction had her on all fours, rocking back and forth. "Uhhhhhh" she exhaled, and with each inhale she tried to breathe deeply to get oxygen to the babies. She then bared down again, and she could feel even more pressure between her legs. "Ohhhhhh" she moaned again, the pain radiating up her back and sides. Slowly the pain faded and she could get a breath. She quickly shimmied out of her panties and shirt.

A loud bang outside startled her, but she couldn't focus on it as she felt the need to push again. She sat back on her heels and opened her legs wide as she bared down, pushing the baby's head towards the floor. "Ahhhhhh" she let out, the pressure driving her every thought and feeling. It was as if nature and instinct took over, and she no longer was worried about what was happening outside. She had one focus, and it was to get her babies out.

For minutes Michonne alternated between catching her breath and pushing. Rocking side to side, or circling her hips to try to relieve the pain and pressure. She was so lost in her own world she didn't even hear the footsteps traveling through her house. During a pushing session, she was interrupted by someone trying the door handle to her room.

She tried her best to muffle her moans of pain as the door continued to rattle.

"Mama! Are you in there?" Judith called.

"Jud… Judith… what… what are you… how?" Michonne panted out as she rocked on all fours.

"I was next door at Kaylee's house, but I heard the alarm and I had to see if you were okay. What are you doing in there?" Judith asked.

Michonne was terrified to think that Judith had run outside while the town was obviously under some sort of siege, but she was now home and safe, and Michonne needed her.

"I'm in labor. The… the babies… ahhhhhh" Michonne called, and she continued to push, feeling one of the babies' head beginning to crown. "I'm having the babies now! I can't get up to unlock the door" she explained between pushes.

"You're… the babies are coming like right _now_?" Judith asked excitedly. "What do I do? Should I get Daddy?".

"No!" Michonne called sharply. "Don't… don't go outside… you have to… break the door. I need your help."

"Break the door?" Judith repeated, unsure if she heard her mother correctly.

Michonne knew the first baby would be out in a matter of minutes, she could feel its head pushing its way from her body. She had been trying to hold back her pushes a bit, hoping Rick would arrive before the baby's head crowned, but she didn't have a choice now, she couldn't help but push the child out.

"It's coming!" Michonne growled, and she began to pant, giving short breaths as the pressure increased even more.

"Okay, I'm coming, I'm gonna break the door!" Judith yelled, scared from the desperation in her mother's voice.

Judith frantically ran into the living room, searching for something heavy enough to break the handle on the bedroom door. Her eyes roamed through the first floor until they reached the fireplace pokers. They were heavy enough that she thought maybe she could use it to knock the door handle off.

Meanwhile, Michonne was trying to control her breathing as she pushed. She reached down between her legs with one of her hands and could feel the baby's head.

"Oh my God" she moaned, and she sat back on her heels, freeing both hands to catch the baby that was slowly sliding from her. She pushed one more time, and the baby quickly fell into her hands. Out of breath, she lifted the warm, soft infant, and pulled it to her chest, tears escaping from her eyes.

The little one immediately began to squirm and flail, and Michonne let out a gasp of joy as the baby let out a wail, it's tiny fingers opening and closing involuntarily.

"Oh God, Oh God, thank you, thank you" Michonne chanted, snuggling with the infant in her arms. Still in shock, Michonne reached for one of the towels stacked near her, and wrapped it around the infant which was still attached to her via the umbilical cord.

"I'm gonna hit the door, Mama!" Judith called from outside, preparing her mother for the loud noise. Judith lifted the poker and slammed it down on the bedroom handle. The impact was loud, but it did nothing to the handle which stood firm. Judith lifted the poker even higher, and slammed it into the handle again, but there was no change. She slammed it again, but the handle was secured to the door as tightly as ever.

"Shit!" Judith called in frustration, then, realizing what she'd just said she quickly added "sorry Mama!". But Michonne was lost in the new life in her arms, not even realizing what her daughter had just said. The infant was a dark purple when it had come out, but once it started crying it had changed to a pale pink. Michonne was thankful for every cry it gave.

"Hi baby!" she cooed, and then she realized she didn't even check the sex. She lifted the towel to examine her baby. "Hi baby boy!" she said, kissing him on the nose.

"Mama, I gotta find something else!" Judith called.

Suddenly there was another barrage of shots outside, bringing Michonne out of her temporary baby bliss.

"Judith! Get down!" Michonne called. Michonne listened intently to the gunshots that seemed to be coming from the gates. When they temporarily stopped, Michonne whispered "Judith? You okay?"

"Yea" she whispered back. "Mama, I need to get something bigger."

"No" Michonne said, pushing herself upwards onto her knees again, but holding the baby with one of her arms. "I… I think I can get over there and unlock it"

"But you just had a baby!" Judith said, her eyes wide.

"I think I can move now" Michonne said, and she tried crawling to the door on her knees and one of her arms, the baby squirming in her other arm. She couldn't put the baby down, as it was still attached to her. She got a few feet away from her spot when she realized that was a bad idea. She was hit with a strong contraction and she felt her whole abdomen clench tightly.

"Whewwwww, whewwwww, whewwwww" Michonne breathed out deeply.

"Mama don't move" Judith ordered, and Michonne could hear her footsteps marching down the hallway. Michonne knew she had to put the first baby down to deal with the contractions that were continuing every minute or so. She placed the baby on the floor next to her and got on all fours again.

She tried to think of what could possibly be happening outside that could keep Rick and Carl away for this long. She tried not to get angry, reasoning that the threat was serious and there was a life or death struggle happening. She knew she was being irrational, and hormonal, and unfair, but goddammit, where was her husband? He was supposed to be here, holding her hand and talking her through all of this, and now she was squatting on the floor in a locked room with a screaming newborn, and two more were in their way.

Michonne closed her eyes and focused all her mental power on Rick. She didn't know if telepathy was real, but she was about to find out tonight. She focused her thoughts on one simple message to Rick.

 _Get. Home. Now._

 **Bam!**

Michonne nearly leaped out of her skin when she heard something slam against the bedroom door and then go crashing to the ground. There was silence for a few moments.

"Judith?" Michonne called nervously.

"Ouch" Judith muttered, "Yea, that didn't work"

Michonne would've laughed if she wasn't in so much pain.

"Please don't hurt yourself" Michonne said to her daughter. "Rick or Carl will be here soon, they're coming. They'll open the door and..."

Michonne felt the familiar pressure between her legs again. Another baby was crowning.

"Oh God. It's another one" Michonne said, leaning forward so far that her head was touching the floor, with her bottom up in the air.

"Mama, someone's on the porch" Judith whispered through the door, and her chilling words were enough to draw Michonne away from her urge to push.

"Go... go hide" Michonne ordered her daughter, as she scooped up her newborn and held him to her chest to keep him quiet.

Michonne could hear Judith scurry down the hallway and up the back stairway. Michonne didn't approve of Judith's hiding place. If there was more than one person trying to get into the house they could block both staircases leading upstairs and trap Judith up there. Michonne wished she could get up and let Judith hide in the bedroom with her, but moving in any direction at the moment was not wise. At least Judith knew where Michonne's gun was, and Michonne was confident the 11 year old could use it. She was as good a shot as Carl was at her age.

Michonne could hear the back door open and close quickly, and knowing that she locked the back door, she instantly knew it was someone who had the key.

"Mom?" She heard Carl call cautiously. She could tell by the pitch of his voice that he feared for her safety.

"I'm here!" Michonne yelled, and then she added "Judith's upstairs", just to make sure he knew someone else was in the house who was supposed to be there.

"Are you guys okay in here?" Carl asked, approaching the bedroom door.

The baby began to wail again, and she could almost hear the wheels turning in Carl's head. "Is that a baby?" he asked.

"Yea, whewwwww… whewwwwww… whewwww… and another one's coming now" Michonne said quickly, before bearing down again, and feeling the second baby's head inching forward. Michonne was no longer paying attention to Carl being at the door, she had to concentrate on the delivery. She pulled herself upward to a squatting position and pushed again.

Carl could hear Michonne's moans and breathing through the closed door. He attempted to open it and was met with a locked door handle. Judith suddenly appeared at the top of the steps. "You have to break the door, she can't open it" she directed her brother.

Carl took his axe out of his belt and slammed it into the door knob, knocking it off with one blow. He and Judith burst into the room and took in the unbelievable scene before them. One baby was wrapped up in a towel, furiously screaming as Michonne crouched next to him. Her eyes were closed and her teeth gritted as she pushed downwards, with another baby's head peeking out from between her legs.

"Oh shit" Carl gasped, and Judith's head snapped to look at him. "Sorry" he mumbled to his sister, and he scurried towards Michonne and dropped to his knees. He scooped the first baby up and passed it to Judith to hold, but since he was still attached to his mother, Judith had to sit nearby so she wouldn't pull on his umbilical cord.

"Ohhhhhh… where's Rick? Whewww… whewwwww" Michonne gasped out.

"There's a lot going on right now, Mom. There were people trying to get in…"

"I don't care!" Michonne snapped at Carl. "Where is he?"

"He's coming" Carl said, "soon. He doesn't know you're in labor. I can get…"

"No!" Michonne cut him off. She reached out and gripped Carl's shoulder so tightly he thought she'd break it. "Ahhhhhh" she moaned as she rocked her hips from side to side. Carl got up and pulled her blanket over to where she was, carefully fluffing it between her legs to catch the infant whos head was half out. Carl placed his hands underneath Michonne as she continued to push and pant.

"Oh… it's coming now… catch it" she moaned, right before the infant tumbled from her into Carl's waiting hands. Carl stared in disbelief at his second little brother that was seconds old. He grabbed one of the towels that was on the floor and dried the baby off, and then wrapped it in another towel. Michonne was sitting back on her heels, gasping deeply as she caught her breath.

"That was… that was great Mom" Carl said, not just because he was trying to reassure her, but because he was genuinely impressed. "I can't believe you just… wow…"

Michonne turned to face the newest baby, and with a smile she reached out to him. "It's another boy" Carl said, handing his brother to her. Michonne smiled and pressed her cheek up against the crying infant, who's pink little gums were showing when he opened his mouth. "Welcome, baby boy" she said, kissing him on the forehead.

"Are you okay?" Carl asked Michonne, noticing the trail of water and blood she was leaving on the floor.

"Yes. One more to go" she said, grasping her belly and taking a deep breath.

Judith was uncharacteristically silent, and Michonne turned to look at her. "Are you okay?" she asked Judith.

"Um… yea. I am if you are" Judith said softly, glancing down at her brother in her arms.

"I'm sorry, I know we didn't quite prepare you for what labor looked like" Michonne said.

"Yea… I really, really was not prepared" Judith said, rocking the infant.

"Um… after I'm done, if you have any questions I'll answer them for you" Michonne said, looking into Judith's eyes.

"I have a few…" Carl mumbled under his breath, as he patted the second infant on its back, and Michonne glanced over and smiled at him.

"Me too" she admitted, "LIKE WHERE IS YOUR FATHER?"

"Mom, I can go get him. He sent me here to check on you, but…" Carl was cut off by the front door slamming.

"Michonne!" Rick called. Michonne felt relief flood through her body when she heard Rick's voice.

"We're in here" she called. Rick's loud footsteps stomped down the hallway, and within seconds he burst through the door and stopped short. He stared at the scene for a few seconds, unsure of what he was seeing. Michonne was naked, sitting on her knees on the floor, surrounded by a blanket that was stained with blood. Carl was sitting on one side of her, cuddling an infant in a towel, and Judith was sitting cross legged on the opposite side of Michonne, rocking another infant, both of the umbilical cords still attached to their mother. A slew of emotions went through Rick, shock, concern, fear, and then intense love.

He would never forget the sight of his children assisting their mother give birth to their siblings.

"Shit!" Rick released, before he caught himself. He quickly glanced at his children, "Sorry. Are you okay?" Rick asked, dropping to his knees in front of Michonne. "When did you go into labor? You were fine when I left!"

"I'm okay" Michonne said "It happened so fast, I didn't even know I was in labor until the alarm went off and I tried to get up and I had a contraction."

Rick looked over at his babies. "Oh my God, they're beautiful Michonne. They're so beautiful. Where… where's the third one?" he asked, searching for the last baby.

Michonne smiled and placed his hand on her belly. "The last one hasn't come out yet. I would've never forgiven you if you missed _all_ the births. You're lucky you came when you did."

"I'm so sorry" Rick said, placing his hand against Michonne's cheek. "There were people…"

"Uhhhhhhh" Michonne interrupted Rick with a groan as she had a contraction. Rick quickly maneuvered himself behind Michonne on his knees, and wrapped his arms around her, placing his hands on top of her hands that were resting on her belly. He rocked her from side to side, his simple movements putting her into a sort of trance.

"I know baby, I know. Just breathe, just listen to my voice and breathe, in and out, in and out, just like we practiced" he coached. Michonne breathed to Rick's rocking, and amazingly she felt the most relaxed she had felt since her labor began. Her husband was here, her family was here, and she was almost done.

"That's it Michonne, that's my girl. You're in the ocean, bobbin' in the waves. Back and forth, back and forth. Let the waves rock you, let the waves relax you, every time a wave washes over you it takes the pain away a little more."

Michonne was so relaxed in Rick's arms she didn't even notice when her contraction faded away. Rick continued to rub and massage her back, putting her into a deeper state of relaxation. They had practiced self-hypnosis techniques together in preparation for her labor, and Rick had become exceptionally good at putting her into a relaxed state.

Judith was mesmerized at how calm Michonne had become by her father's voice. Even the babies had fallen asleep, just listening to Rick talk to Michonne about waves, and waterfalls, and floating on the ocean.

Rick continued to talk, trying to distract Michonne through her contractions as much as possible. He could feel the tightening in her abdomen every so often, but she barely let out a sound as she continued to breathe deeply, listening to his soothing voice. After another half hour of contractions, Michonne opened her eyes.

"I feel pressure" she said softly, "the baby, I feel it"

"Okay sweetheart" Rick said, "you know how to do this, you get into any position you feel comfortable in."

Michonne leaned forward onto all fours again, and then sat into a squat.

"Do you need a pillow?" Rick asked.

She shook her head no and closed her eyes again. "I have to push."

"Okay go ahead honey, I'm here to catch it"

Carl and Judith looked on tight lipped and unblinking, as Michonne took a deep breath and pushed downwards. "Uhhhhhhh" she whimpered softly. She took a deep breath and exhaled, pushing again. The room was silent except for Michonne's breathing, and an occasional sound from the babies.

"I see it, I see the head" Rick whispered to Michonne softly, trying to keep her calm. "You're doing amazing honey, you're almost there."

"Whewwwww… whewwwwww… whewwwww…" Michonne breathed, and with each breath the baby's head moved from her further. Michonne began to rock and circle her hips, allowing the baby to move further from her body.

"Okay, just a few more pushes baby, it's right there" Rick said, reaching out to hold on to the baby's head. Michonne pushed again, and she could feel the baby slowly leaving her body.

"Oh… ohhhhhh…" she moaned, and suddenly the pressure was gone, the baby was out.

"I've got it" Rick said happily, pulling the infant against his chest. The baby wailed loudly, even louder than the other two.

"I've got her" Rick corrected himself, studying the baby girl in his arms. "Oh, look at her Michonne, look what we did."

Michonne, relieved that the last infant had been safely delivered from her body, finally sat back on the ground, exhausted. Rick quickly grabbed a pillow and stuffed it behind Michonne so she could rest comfortably against the wall. Carl placed the second born boy into Judith's arms, and walked over to the bed and grabbed a bed sheet. He placed the sheet over Michonne to keep her warm, as well as cover her body.

"Look Mama, they're all so cute!" Judith said, overjoyed as she happily looked from one of her brothers to the other.

"Michonne, our little girl looks just like you" Rick said, holding up their new daughter to Michonne so that she could kiss her on the forehead. Michonne was so tired she could only smile in contentment at her three beautiful babies. They were all healthy, 30 tiny fingers, 30 tiny toes, and three tiny faces.

The family of seven stayed on the floor for a while, just watching the tiny tots while Michonne regained her strength. They hadn't cut the umbilical cords yet, so the infants couldn't move very far from Michonne.

"We need a sterile knife or scissor to cut the cords" Rick said. "I'll go to the infirmary and get one, and tell someone to send a message to Dr. Carson that he needs to come here, oh and…"

"Wait" Michonne said. "I know you have to do all that, but do you have to go right now? Please, just… just stay here?"

Rick nodded and sat back down next to Michonne, grasping her hand.

"I'll go get the scissors" Carl volunteered, "and go tell someone to get Dr. Carson."

"No! Is it even safe out there? They were just shooting a few minutes ago" Michonne said.

"It's fine. We uh…" Rick quickly glanced at Judith who didn't seem to be paying them any mind. "We neutralized the threat."

"I know that means you killed somebody" Judith volunteered, not even bothering to look up as she stared down at the babies. "You don't have to have secret codes around me, y'know."

"And she's not even a teenager yet" Michonne joked, "just wait till she hits the big 1-3, then we'll even have to spell around her!"

"Um… I can spell too" Judith said, rolling her eyes, "I'm not a baby anymore."

"No, you're not" Rick agreed with a laugh. "Now, you're a big sister"

"I'll be back" Carl said, placing one of the boys into Michonne's arms, kissing her on the forehead, and then leaving for the infirmary.

"So, any ideas on names?" Rick asked Michonne as she smiled down at her new son who had managed to find his fist, and was sleeping while sucking on it.

"I want to name them after people who were strong. Our family members who helped us to survive. I think… I think it'd be a good tribute to them."

"I think that's a great idea" Rick said, immediately loving her suggestion. "What about this boy? What do you think would be a good name for him?"

"How about Glenn Tyrese Grimes?" Michonne asked.

"Glenn Tyrese" Rick repeated, letting the name roll around in his head, "I think it's a fine name." Rick leaned down and whispered into his son's ear. "You're named after men who were selfless, honest, and always did what's right" he said with a smile. "Glenn Tyrese it is, I'm sure Maggie would like that."

"Here Mama, what's his name?" Judith asked, passing her their second son, as Michonne passed Glenn to Rick.

"Hmmm, how about Daryl Abraham?" Michonne asked, looking up at Rick. Rick looked startled for a moment as the name sunk into his brain. Daryl had died years ago, during the war with the Saviors, and Rick had grieved for his brother every day. He had wanted to commemorate Daryl's life in some way, but naming his son after him had never crossed his mind until this moment. He would be honored to do that. A smile spread across Rick's face as he looked down at the baby in Michonne's arms, and he was overwhelmed with love for his wife, who had helped him heal just a little more from Daryl's death.

"That's a perfect name for him." Rick leaned down and peered into his son's eyes. "You are named after two men who were strong and fearless, who did anything they could do to protect the people they loved."

Michonne leaned down and kissed Daryl on the forehead before handing him back to Judith. Michonne then took their daughter from Rick. "And you little girl, your name will be Sasha Andrea. You're named after two women who were smart, bold, deadly with a rifle, and who died trying to save others."

Rick ran his hand over Sasha's fluffy baby hair. "My beautiful little Sasha" he said.

Carl returned minutes later with a scissor, and Tara and Rosita in tow, who were the closest people the town of Alexandria had to doctors. The two of them cut the umbilical cords and checked out the babies. They then helped Michonne to deliver the placentas and afterbirths. Once the family cleaned up the room, Michonne nursed the triplets for the first time, while Carl and Judith prepared the babies' room for their early arrival.

As Glenn and Sasha nursed, Michonne leaned back in bed with her eyes closed. Rick sat in the chair next to her bed, holding Daryl.

"So, what happened out there?" Michonne asked, startling Rick a little. He thought she had fallen asleep.

"Some people, a small group, about 15, tried to get in here. They tried to climb the walls. It was a stupid attempt, they were spotted almost immediately. Most of them were taken out. Carl and I were running around checkin' to see if any got in, and we found two inside the walls. We killed them, but I told Carl to check on you, knowin' you were home by yourself. I was doin' another sweep, when all of a sudden… I just got this feelin'… no… it was more than a feelin'. It was somethin' tellin' me to get home now. So I came back here, and… well… you know the rest."

Michonne burst into laughter, startling the babies who were feeding at her breast. "Oh, oh sorry babies" she cooed as they let out a small cry. When they settled back down, Michonne had a huge smile on her face. "So, it worked!" she said.

"What worked?" Rick asked.

"I was here on the floor trying to send you telepathic messages to _GET. HOME. NOW._ And it worked!" she explained.

"You think you spoke to me telepathically?" Rick asked skeptically.

"You gonna tell me I'm wrong?" Michonne asked.

"I wouldn't dare" Rick said with a smile. Michonne smiled as well, and then let out a long yawn. It had been a long day, and she was tired.

By the time Carl and Judith came back downstairs, the babies had finished eating and were fast asleep.

"Their room is all ready!" Judith announced, "and I even put one of my fluffy pink scarves on Sasha's crib, so she knows it's hers." The family didn't know the sex of the triplets ahead of time, but Judith had been hoping and praying for at least one little sister.

"Here, let us take them" Rick said, passing a baby to Judith and Carl as he held one himself. "Take a nap honey, you've been through a lot and you need to rest. And you know they'll be up in a few hours to eat, anyway."

Michonne didn't want to be away from her babies, but she was too tired to resist, and she knew Rick was right. She motioned for Carl and Judith to come over and she kissed both of them on the foreheads. "You both did great today. Thank you for helping me get through this. I love you."

"Love you too mom" Carl said.

"I love you Mama, but you and me need to have a talk, 'cuz watching the babies be born was disgusting!" Judith said.

Michonne laughed so hard she was in pain by the time she finished, and Rick ushered his children out of the room before Judith could say something else. Before he went upstairs to put the babies in their cribs, he turned to Michonne.

"I love you sweetheart. Thank you, for everything."

Michonne nodded and leaned back into her pillow. Rick closed her door slightly, but left it open a bit so he could hear if she called for him. As soon as the footsteps of her family faded away, Michonne closed her eyes and fell into an exhausted and well-earned sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

"Mom, Daryl said I can't come with him and the boys" Glenn loudly tattled on his identical twin brother. He skidded into the kitchen where Rick and Michonne were preparing dinner.

"What? Why not?" Michonne asked, chopping up a huge vidalia onion that she'd been growing in her garden for weeks.

"I dunno" Glenn huffed, "he's being a jerk."

Michonne turned to Rick who was preparing meat for the grill in the back of their house. "Rick" Michonne called.

"Huh?" he asked.

"Dad, Daryl's being a jerk" Glenn repeated, propping his fists on his hips. His wild curly hair hung into his eyes and he angrily flipped the curls away, reminding Michonne that both boys needed a haircut soon. Their skin was a dark tan color and they were handsome, with light brown eyes. Michonne knew when they got older they'd get plenty of attention.

"Hey, don't call your brother that" Rick reprimanded.

"But he's not letting me come. He said I should find my own friends" Glenn said crossing his arms in indignation.

"Tell him to come in here" Rick said, not even looking up.

Glenn turned and raced out of the kitchen screaming "Daryl! You're in trouble with Dad!"

Michonne smiled and chuckled at her son as she continued to slice the onion into thin pieces.

"What? I didn't _do_ anything!" she could hear Daryl yell at his brother as he loudly stomped down the stairs.

In a few seconds he came crashing into the kitchen. The boy was a mirror image of his brother, except Daryl was noticeably a few inches taller and more muscular than his twin. While Glenn was more of a homebody who enjoyed cooking with Michonne and Judith or reading, Daryl was a jock who was always outside playing or getting into mischief. And Daryl was always right behind Rick.

"Daryl, watch those feet" Michonne warned. Her son had a habit of walking loudly when he was angry.

"Dad, Glenn is so annoying" Daryl complained, coming up behind his father. "He always wants to tag along whenever I go somewhere with _my_ friends."

"He said you're not letting him go with you to hang out?" Rick asked, still slicing off pieces of meat.

"Yea, 'cuz he's a nerd! He says stupid stuff and talks about books when everyone just wants to play 'Walkers' or practice their slingshots".

Rick stopped cutting the meat and turned to look at his son. "Hey, don't call your brother a nerd. Maybe _you_ should spend some more time studying to bring your grades up."

"Look dad, Glenn is embarrassing. He needs to get his own friends, maybe someone from the Kingdom or something. Why does he always have to come with me? He's a big loser."

Michonne snapped her head around to say something to Daryl about his attitude towards Glenn, but Rick jumped in first.

"That is your brother, and if anyone should be nice to him it's you. You're family, and when all your little friends don't want to play with you anymore or they get different friends, you know who will have your back still? Glenn. You don't talk about your brother like that again, you hear me?" Rick asked, his eyes narrowing so Daryl knew he'd crossed the line.

"Yea dad" Daryl muttered.

"Now both of you need to be back here in an hour for dinner. Is Sasha coming with you too?" Michonne asked.

"Sasha? No way" Daryl said, "Judith is putting makeup on her for her date."

Rick and Michonne both whirled on Daryl like lions on the prowl.

"Her what?" Rick asked.

Daryl laughed when he realized his parents weren't aware of what their daughters were doing upstairs.

"Uh… maybe you should ask Judith" he said, backing out of the kitchen and calling his brother. "C'mon Glenn, lets go!"

Glenn, who knew his parents would make Daryl let him go, called from the porch, "I'm out here already!"

Daryl sprinted for the front door and left it open as the twins jumped off the porch and dashed away.

"Judith!" Michonne called, her onion chopping temporarily forgotten.

"Damn, Daryl has a big mouth!" Michonne could hear Judith mutter from up the stairs.

"Should I wash it off?" Sasha asked softly.

"No, you look too cute. C'mon" Judith responded, and the couple could hear the two girls marching down the staircase. Rick was already waiting at the bottom for the girls to descend.

When Sasha got close enough, Michonne could see Judith's handiwork on her little sister. Sasha's naturally curly hair was styled up into a messy bun, with ringlets strategically streaming down her face. The eleven year old's lips were painted a bright shade of pink, and the same color was applied to her eyelids. Sasha was wearing one of Judith's skirts, but because she was smaller than her big sister it was practically falling off of her. To solve this problem, Judith had wrapped a brightly colored fabric around the skirt tightly to keep it in place, and tied a big bow on the side which incidentally was the same shade of pink as Sasha's makeup.

"Doesn't she look pretty?" Judith said to her parents, as Sasha nervously followed behind her.

"What is going on Judith?" Rick asked her accusingly.

Sasha looked from Judith, to Rick, to Michonne nervously.

"Sasha wanted to look cute today. Can't a girl just get all pretty?" Judith asked with a shrug, not intimidated at all by her father.

"Daryl said something about a _date_?" Michonne asked.

Judith looked at Sasha with a head tilt that said ' _your time to shine'_.

"It's not a date… exactly…" Sasha began, "Stevie asked me to hang out with him by the orchards. Like just walk around and stuff. Maybe pick some apples. I can bring you guys back some if you want…"

"What is on your lips?" Rick asked, staring at the bright lipstick.

"You like it Dad?" Judith cut in, "I made it myself. Lipstick and eyeshadow. I should start selling it the next time we have a carnival."

"Why is it on Sasha's face?" Rick asked.

"I mean, it's the first time a boy's asked her out… um… for a walk… and she wanted to see how it'd look on her."

"Judith, you're 22, Sasha is 11. There is no way she's leaving this house with lipstick and eyeshadow" Michonne said, crossing her arms. "And why does she have your skirt on?"

"I wanted to wear something different" Sasha said. "I always wear jeans and t-shirts, and Judith has cute clothes."

"Put on the jeans and t-shirt" Rick ordered.

"But Dad!" Sasha whined.

"And take off the make-up" Michonne added.

"Mama!" Judith pouted.

"Hurry up, and when you come back down here then we'll talk to you about this boy" Michonne said.

Sasha pouted and gave her sister one last look, like maybe she had some other card tricks in her hand, but Judith shrugged apologetically at her sister, and Sasha turned around and went back upstairs. As soon as Sasha was out of sight, Michonne whirled on her oldest daughter.

"You knew about this date?" she asked, her voice raised.

"C'mon mama, it's not even a date. They're going to the orchards, there's like 20 other people there at any given time" Judith said, crossing her arms and leaning against the wall. "It's not like they're going to the back fields or anything. And Sasha is so innocent you don't have to worry about her yet."

"It's not Sasha I'm worried about" Rick said with a scowl. "Who is this Stevie?"

"I know him" Michonne said. "Wanda and Oliver's son. He seems like a pretty good kid but he's older than her."

"He's 13. And he is a good kid" Judith said, "I um… used to date his older cousin, Simon."

"When was this?" Rick asked in shock.

"When I was 15 dad" Judith said.

"Judith, you weren't dating anyone when you were 15" Michonne said quietly.

"That you knew of" Judith said softly, looking off in another direction. Rick blinked a few times in shock.

"Look, my point is, Sasha is just starting to grow up a little, even faster than Daryl and Glenn. If you guys don't let her experiment and try to figure out who she is, she'll just do it behind your back and it'll be ten times worse. She's a good kid, let her live a little. Let her go on this 'date', she's not going to do anything, I know my little sis."

"Judith, bright pink lipstick and eyeshadow on an 11 year old is not appropriate" Michonne said sternly.

"Okay, okay, I admit I got a little carried away. Maybe when she's 16. I was just excited for her. She's excited too, so don't crush this whole experience for her. Let her go out with Stevie, believe me, she won't be by herself."

"What are you talking about?" Rick asked.

"You think I was gonna let my sis go out there by herself? Daryl and Glenn are gonna be watching out for her. If Stevie tries anything he's gonna be sorry."

"You got Daryl and Glenn to agree to spy on Sasha?" Rick asked.

"Spy is _such_ a strong word" Judith said slyly, "I think I'd prefer the word 'watch'".

"And the boys agreed to that?" Michonne asked, intrigued. Her sons were known to argue and bicker amongst themselves, but one person they never seemed to raise their voices to was Sasha. Even though she was the same age as them, they still thought of her as their 'little' sister, and they were very protective of her.

"Let's just say they're gonna play with their little friends close enough to the orchards to keep an eye out for Sasha. I told them not to be obvious and give her space, but if they can give me a report on what happened I have some compensation planned for them."

Michonne sighed and looked at Rick who was still staring at Judith somewhat amazed.

"How did you have time to plan all of this?" Rick asked.

"I have connections dad. Just… let her do this" Judith said with a smirk.

A few moments later, Sasha came bounding back down the steps, Judith's skirt in her arms, and her make-up gone, replaced by blue jeans and her favorite yellow t-shirt. Her hair was still styled upwards, making her look fancier than usual. When she got to the bottom of the steps she crossed her arms, assuming her parents weren't going to let her go on the date.

"Much better" Rick said, nodding his head. "Now listen up Sasha. This is not a date. This boy, Stevie, is your _friend_ and that's it. The two of you can go have some fun at the orchards. Bring back some apples for dessert."

"I can go?" Sasha asked, her eyes wide.

"You can go, only because we trust you. We know that you're not going to do anything you're not supposed to. And since you and Stevie are friends, the two of you are gonna keep your hands to yourselves, right?" Michonne asked.

"Ewww mom, yes!" Sasha said excitedly.

"And if you feel uncomfortable, or you're ready to come home, even if it's early, you can come right back home" Rick added.

"Dad, the orchard is literally like a few blocks away" Sasha pouted, "you didn't tell Daryl and Glenn all of this when _they_ left."

"Hey, you wanna go or not?" Rick asked. Sasha instantly closed her mouth.

"Okay, be back here in an hour for dinner" Michonne said.

"Okay thanks mom, thanks dad!" Sasha said happily before sprinting out of the front door that was still open from her brothers' departure.

Judith stretched her back like a cat and then gathered up the skirt she'd lent Sasha, her make-up bag with the lipstick and eyeshadow, and various other belongings from the living room.

"Where are _you_ going?" Rick asked, as confused as ever.

"Home" Judith replied, "my work here is done. I have a date tonight myself and I need to get ready. Luke and I are driving over to Hilltop for a daycation. I'll tell Carl you said hi. "

"I thought you were going to stay for dinner?" Michonne asked, disappointed. "Luke can come eat too."

"Sorry mama, not tonight, but I'll be over here tomorrow night to hear the full report on Sasha's 'date'."

Judith came over and quickly pecked both Rick and Michonne on the cheek before sashaying her way out of the house, finally closing the door that her siblings had left open.

Rick and Michonne stared at the door behind her in a stunned silence.

"What just happened?" Rick asked.

"I think our children have outsmarted us" Michonne said with an amused shake of her head, "and Judith is the ringleader."

"How is our 11 year old daughter going on a date? How did she grow up so fast?" Rick asked, his eyes squinting as though he were in pain.

"I don't know" Michonne said. "It seems like yesterday that I pushed them out in that bedroom."

"I have to go make sure Sasha is okay" Rick said, heading for the door. Before he could take a step, Michonne placed her hand on Rick's arm.

"Rick, she's been gone for 2 minutes, she's fine."

"I don't like this boy asking her out and not coming to us first. Who is he anyway?"

"Rick. Calm down" Michonne said rubbing his shoulder. "I'm skeptical about this too, but she'll be back in an hour. It's okay, it's not like she's going out of the gates. I guess this kind of thing is something we have to get used to now. And how did we not know Judith was dating some guy when she was 15?"

Rick rubbed his forehead. "Judith was a sneaky one, I hope Sasha doesn't follow her in footsteps."

 *****can08writer*****

Sasha had a great time at the orchards with Stevie. They'd picked two basketful of apples, one for his family and one for hers.

He even picked a dandelion that was growing between the apple trees and gave it to her, to her surprise.

When the hour was up and it was time for her to go home, Sasha said to Stevie "I had a lot of fun. Thanks for the flower. I'll see you at school tomorrow, okay?"

She smiled at him and then turned to walk back home when he called "wait!"

Sasha turned around to face him.

"Aren't you gonna kiss me goodbye?" Stevie asked.

"What? Ewww no" Sasha said, scrunching her face.

"Why not? I thought you had fun?" Stevie asked, confused about Sasha's response.

"I did have fun but I don't wanna kiss you" Sasha said.

"But you're supposed to. That's how dates end. All the other girls I went on dates with kissed me goodbye."

"If I _want_ to, but I don't. My sister went on a whole bunch of dates and she told me I don't have to do anything I don't want to."

"If you don't kiss me I'm gonna look stupid when my friends ask me what happened" Stevie replied.

Sasha crossed her arms. "I don't want to kiss you, and you telling me about all the other girls that kissed you makes me not want to kiss you even more. I'm going home" Sasha said, not even trying to hide her annoyance.

"Hey, wait!" Stevie yelled, grabbing her elbow. Sasha snatched her arm out of his and said "Don't touch me!". She continued walking when he grabbed her wrist this time. Using all the self-defense lessons Michonne had taught her along with her brothers, Sasha twisted her wrist out of Stevie's grip, and punched him in the chest.

"Ouch!" he yelled in surprise, "stop being so stupid! I don't even want to kiss you now. That's why you're ugly anyway!"

The sound of running and trampling through the apple trees made the fighting couple turn, and Glenn and Daryl crashed into view.

Glenn plowed into Stevie, knocking him to the ground.

"Touch my sister again!" Glenn yelled at Stevie at the top of his voice, "go ahead, try it!"

Sasha looked on shocked as Glenn and Daryl surrounded Stevie who was lying on the floor looking up at the twins.

"You put your hands on my sister and you lose them. Got it?" Glenn asked again, tilting his head to the right and giving Stevie his most dangerous glare.

Stevie nodded quickly, glancing from Glenn's wild eyes to Daryl's cold stare.

"And if I hear any rumors going around of you saying you kissed my sister, you're gonna be sorry" Daryl added.

Stevie nodded again.

"Now apologize" Glenn said.

"Sorry for grabbing you Sasha" Stevie said quickly.

The three boys all turned to look at Sasha. She nodded and tilted her head for Daryl and Glenn to let Stevie get up. Stevie stood and brushed leaves and debris from his clothes.

"Have a good night" Sasha said calmly.

Stevie turned from the triplets and walked away briskly. As soon as he was out of earshot, Sasha turned on her brothers.

"What are y'all doing here?" she asked, "were you spying on me?"

"No, we were just in the area and heard him yelling at you" Daryl said with a shrug.

"In the area Daryl? Really? Since when do the two of you play in the orchards?" Sasha asked with her hands on her hips.

"Look we could've heard him yelling from all the way across town. Aren't you glad we were here?" Glenn asked.

"I could've handled him without you" Sasha said with a smirk, "but it was pretty funny with you guys crashing through the bushes. And Glenn, who knew you had all _that_ in you?" she asked, playfully rumpling Glenn's hair.

"Yea Glenn, that was badass" Daryl confirmed, knocking his shoulder into his brother.

Glenn's cheeks turned a shade of pink. "Well who does he think he is talking to Sasha like that? Let him call my sister a name again."

"Awww you guys love me" Sasha said wrapping one arm around Glenn's neck and the other around Daryl's. Both boys ducked out from under her arms.

"C'mon, we're late for dinner, mom's gonna be pissed" Daryl said before the three jogged towards home.

 *****can08writer*****

"You're late" Michonne said sternly, as her three youngest children barged into the house.

Sasha and Daryl looked at Glenn to speak for them. He was the best at getting them out of trouble.

"Yea" Glenn said, "there was something going on and… we're sorry."

"What was goin' on?" Rick called from the kitchen.

Sasha and Daryl turned to Glenn again.

"Um… someone fell down 'cuz he was doing something dangerous. But we helped him" Glenn said with a smirk.

"Fell down huh?" Michonne asked, giving her children the side eye. She looked over at Sasha. "How was your outing with your little friend?"

Sasha raised her basket full of apples. "Got lots of apples" she said with a shrug.

"And?" Michonne prodded, shooing the boys to the bathroom for them to wash their hands.

"It was alright, but I don't know if I'm gonna do it again any time soon" Sasha said.

"How come?" Michonne asked, pressing her daughter for some details.

"Boys are annoying. I'm around them too much as it is" Sasha said.

Michonne smiled at her daughter. "You're right" Michonne laughed, "tell that to Judith the next time she wants to doll you up for a date."

"It wasn't Judith mom, I asked her for the makeup. I like dressing up sometimes. I never get to wear cute stuff" Sasha explained.

"But you're already so cute" Michonne said, giving her daughter a kiss on the cheek.

"But I wanna be girly sometimes" she persisted.

"Alright, on the weekend we'll go to Ms. Eldan to get you fitted for a new dress to wear, okay?"

"Okay" Sasha agreed.

"Are you sure everything went okay with that boy?" Michonne asked, knowing she'd hear the report her sons told Judith anyway.

"Yep" Sasha said, and she followed her brothers to the bathroom to wash her hands.

Rick, who had been listening to the entire conversation from the kitchen came up behind Michonne and whispered in her ear "she is so lying."

"Yup, she is" Michonne said, "but whatever happened I think she handled it."

 *****can08writer*****

After dinner, Daryl and Glenn were brushing their teeth in the upstairs bathroom in silence before they headed to bed.

"So what are we gonna tell Judith tomorrow?" Daryl asked, breaking the quiet.

"I dunno" Glenn shrugged, "what happened?"

"No way. If Sasha finds out we told Judith what happened she'll kill us."

"How's she gonna find out?" Glenn asked.

"Judith will tell mom and dad, and mom and dad will over react, and it'll be a whole big problem when we already solved it" Daryl said.

"So you wanna lie?" Glenn asked Daryl, spitting his toothpaste into the sink.

"Who are you more scared of, Judith or Sasha?" Daryl asked.

Glenn looked at his brother, gave him a smile, and both of them simultaneously said "Sasha."

"So we're lying then. Nothing happened, Sasha just didn't like Stevie after hanging out with him. Cool" Daryl said, strolling out of the bathroom and making his way over to his bed.

Glenn flicked the light off and quickly jumped into his own bed. The room was silent for a few seconds when Daryl said "hey Glenn, wanna come with us to the lake tomorrow and look for frogs?"

Glenn smiled from underneath his blanket.

"Maybe. I'll see if I'm free" he replied.


End file.
